In RFID technology, three radio-identification modules (also called marker, beacon or transponder) are known, namely the passive RFID module, the active RFID module and the semi-passive RFID module. The RFID passive module, also called radio-tag, simply integrates a memory, of the electronic chip type, and an antenna linked to the memory to enable the short-range reading of an identification data stored in the memory by a reader; the reader being composed of a radio frequency transmitter that activates the RFID passive module by providing it at short distance with the energy it needs to communicate its identification data. The passive RFID module thus enables the communication of the identification data to and on the initiative of an outer infrastructure, by means of a short-range reader, typically up to about ten meters.
The active RFID module integrates a controller provided with a memory and linked to a supply battery and also to a radio frequency transmitter/receiver. An active RFID module enables the identification, the supervision and optionally the recording of measurement data coming from one or more sensor(s) equipping the module. Thus, this active RFID module enables the data communication (identification data stored in the memory and optionally measurement data from the sensor(s)) to an outer infrastructure and on the initiative of the module controller which sends these data at regular time intervals, with a long-range, typically of about hundred meters.
The semi-passive RFID module, also called <<BAP tag>> for <<Battery-Assisted Passive tag>> or passive battery-assisted marker, combines the active RFID technology and the passive RFID technology, by integrating a memory linked to an antenna and to a battery. Thus, the battery allows increasing the reading range of the identification data stored in the memory by a medium-range reader, typically up to a few tens of meters: the communication between the semi-passive RFID module and the outer infrastructure occurring on the initiative of the infrastructure as in the passive technology, and not on the initiative of the module, on a long-range, typically of about hundred meters.
The aforementioned three modules are all frozen in their respective technologies, so that it is necessary to resort to two distinct modules, namely an active RFID module and a passive or semi-passive RFID module, to carry out, on the one hand, a single identification over a long period and, on the other hand, an identification, a supervision and a recording over a short period.
Indeed, it is sometimes necessary to resort to either of the RFID technologies according to the phases of objects use or of people activity. By way of example, many objects in various fields of use (eg. artwork or industrial assets, valuables, samples and perishable goods) may have distinct phases of use with distinct needs:                a storage phase over a long period (eg. over several years) that requires only the ability to identify each object by means of passive or even semi-passive RFID modules;        a supervision phase over short periods (eg. temporary exhibition of artwork, use of industrial assets for the implementation of a method used punctually, transport) which may concern some of the objects and which requires the ability not only to identify, but also to supervise, to monitor with sensors and to locate the objects in question by means of active RFID modules.        
The only passive or semi-passive RFID technology is not adapted for supervision phases as it does not allow meeting the needs of supervision and recording of data measured by sensors; no supervision is possible with the passive and semi-passive RFID modules due to the initiative of the communication by the infrastructure.
As for the only active RFID technology, it is not adapted for the storage phases because the management of the batteries of the multiple active modules is prohibitive in terms of organization and cost; this problem arising at smaller scale with the semi-passive RFID modules which are less energy-consuming.
It is therefore conventional to fasten on the stored objects passive RFID modules which have the advantage of avoiding batteries management during the long storage phases and, during the short supervision phases, to temporarily fasten on the used objects active RFID modules without link or connection with the passive RFID modules.
The drawbacks to proceed this way are, firstly, that the fastening of two separate modules on the same object presents intrusion problems on the objects, particularly on the fragile objects and/or valuables such as artwork, and secondly, that the fastening of an active RFID module on an object is a time-consuming and sometimes complex operation because it is directly fastened on the object to be monitored.
In addition, it is necessary to double the manual operations called attachment or <<commissioning>> operations, with an attachment for the passive RFID modules and an attachment for the active RFID modules; the attachment including attaching or associating a module to the object on which is fastened in a database operated by the outer infrastructure. This doubling of the attachment operations is of course costly in manual work time, not to mention the risks of error which increase with the number of attachment operations.
Similarly, it is necessary to double the manual operations called detachment or <<decommissioning>> operations; the detachment including detaching or disassociating a module from the object on which it is fastened in the database.
Moreover, with the risks of error which are inherent to the attachment operations, it is not certain that the sensor measurement data transmitted by an active RFID module are well associated to the object to which is attached the active RFID module in question in the database.
Finally, in the case where an active RFID module must behave differently depending on the object on which it is fastened, it is necessary to proceed to a manual and time-consuming programming, either at the outer infrastructure or at the active RFID module itself, at each use of the active RFID module on the object.